


Faint Ambience

by meanderingmirth



Category: VIXX
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-13
Updated: 2015-09-13
Packaged: 2018-04-20 13:21:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,103
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4788743
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/meanderingmirth/pseuds/meanderingmirth
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>That night, the sounds of rainwater and crawling traffic jams melded together in the back of Taekwoon’s mind as he ran through the alleyway, umbrella in one hand and his messenger bag in the other.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Faint Ambience

**Author's Note:**

> inspired by [this](http://mystic-revelations.tumblr.com/post/112436935989/photography-by-masashi-wakui/) set of images
> 
> it's also been raining for about three days in my area now; I'm really feeling the rainy city vibes :')
> 
> enjoy!

That night, the sounds of rainwater and crawling traffic jams melded together in the back of Taekwoon’s mind as he ran through the alleyway, umbrella in one hand and his messenger bag in the other. The puddles at his feet rippled with liquid light and the cast of bold, neon colours splashed in droplets all around when the rubber soles of his dirtied leather shoes made contact with them. For one brief moment, his steps were the centre of an explosion of elements, but a moment later everything collapsed back into its rippling form once Taekwoon’s feet took its step forwards and carried him away.

The city wasn’t alive, per se, but it did seem to breathe with him as he stumbled out onto the main road, nearly crashing headlong into another pedestrian carrying a similar, dark umbrella. Taekwoon apologizes hastily, but the other man is already on his way, bag in one hand and shoes splishing through puddles in the other without a glance back. He shakes his head and presses on. The hands on his watch twist ‘round to tell him just how short he is on time, and Taekwoon purses his lips. He doesn’t want to be late tonight.

The main street is flanked by shining signs that glow brightest when the sun goes down and climbs higher than any of the buildings that surround them. They assault his vision with eye-popping words, rapidly-shifting pictures and giant pixels that dart across boards with a kind of mechanical intensity that contrasts heavily with Taekwoon’s smooth, almost weightless run.

The lights flash in blocky, solid movements, and Taekwoon glides through the shine cast down by the signs, too preoccupied to notice anything they’re trying to say.

He takes a shortcut through a quiet street instead of trying to fight his way through the mob of pedestrians pressed up against each other at the crosswalk, where umbrellas bob up and down like baubles in the sea and the sight of walking legs was like trying to keep track of an inconsistent, criss-crossing pattern that just never stopped. Taekwoon doesn’t frequent this area often, but he can vaguely remember which street to turn down onto and which sign to look out for. The lights are dimmer here, and everything seems to hover before his eyes in a soft haze instead, not at all like the blaring colours he saw earlier. He sees a movement in the corner of his eyes and notices a family of four walk into a large house. Was it their home? Or was it a store that he’d never managed to notice until now?

Taekwoon eyes flit to the side— but oh, he’s gone by too fast. There’s no use looking back now, not when the street is but a sudden lapse in memory behind him. It was quiet back there, but Taekwoon had ran by so quickly that it felt like a barely muted moment one might experience when going through an overpass while driving on the highway. He carries on.

The restaurant & bar is only a short distance ahead now. Taekwoon takes bigger strides, umbrella bouncing against the soft fabric of his coat and against the muscles in his shoulder as he runs. Water droplets shake off him as he skids to a halt before the establishment, panting hard, damp hair falling into his eyes like a curtain. He shakes it back and snaps his umbrella shut, futilely trying to re-arrange his clothes so that it looks like he hadn’t been sprinting his whole way here. He reaches into his messenger bag and removes a small and wrapped rectangular parcel. It’s a book, and only one half of the gift Taekwoon intended to give. The other half was at home, too small and expensive to risk being carried all over the city, but if things go well tonight and his partner decides to spend the night at his apartment, then Taekwoon can properly gift that present then.

He squares his shoulders, takes one more breath, and pulls the door open.

The hostess greets him with a wide smile and asks his name, but Taekwoon can already see Hongbin sitting by their usual booth, waving towards him. He thanks the woman, carefully ducks around her and hurries over to where his boyfriend is rising to his feet, ready to greet him.

“Hey,” Hongbin smiles, dimples dipping into his cheeks as he kisses Taekwoon sweetly. “You made it.”

“Of course I did,” he huffs, resting a cold hand against Hongbin’s hip. His boyfriend’s hair is smooth and dry and combed artfully to one side, unlike Taekwoon’s own mess on his head. He’s wearing a large, knitted sweater and fitted jeans and looks warm and comfortable— which, incidentally, is the same feeling Taekwoon feels when they’re together.  Hongbin’s eyes crinkle as he sweeps at Taekwoon’s bangs, fond.

“Did you run here in the rain?” he asks, and Taekwoon shrugs.

“I wanted to be on time.”

“Well, I’m glad you are,” Hongbin chuckles. “C’mon, let’s sit down and eat dinner.”

Taekwoon nods, setting his bag down onto the seat before sliding out of his wet coat, hanging it carefully up on a hook above the seat. He sits and slides the parcel across the table to Hongbin, whose expression lights up as he takes the gift.

“For me?” his boyfriend asks, and Taekwoon nods.

“Happy birthday,” he says softly, and it makes Hongbin looks down, cheeks turning a little red.

“Thank you,” Hongbin says, shy, and Taekwoon smiles.

“I have another gift too,” he says, and Hongbin looks up in surprise. “But I had to leave it back at my place; it was a little difficult to carry here. If you want to, you can come over after dinner and we can have cake and coffee before you open it.”

“Did you bake the cake yourself?” Hongbin asks, grinning, and Taekwoon nods.

“Of course I did.”

“Alright then,” Hongbin laughs. “I definitely want to come over and eat the birthday cake you made for me and see what this secret surprise is.”

Taekwoon lets out breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. He carefully arranges his face into a neutral look so he wouldn’t give anything away, because back at his flat, tucked away in a deceivingly large package, is a silver ring box, carrying a smooth platinum band on the inside and the weight of four important words Taekwoon plans to ask along with it.

“Sounds good,” he says instead, smiling as he glances out at the smatter of ambient city lights against a raindrop-covered window. “Let’s enjoy our dinner then.”

**Author's Note:**

> it's 3am and the rain sounds amazing outside, and maybe I should be sleeping instead of writing, lol
> 
> thanks for reading!


End file.
